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I hope.
17
“You made it!” Franky gives me a hug when I find him on the lawn at the park in town. When he lets go of me, though, he looks around like he’s expecting someone else. “Did you come alone?”
“Yeah, why?” I look over my shoulder, confused.
“I just figured… never mind.” He takes my hand and leads me to where a bunch of people are already arranged on blankets spread out over the grass. The sky is just going dark, and the lights coming from the stage at the rear corner of the park cast blue and purple and red beams of light over us.
I recognize one of the girls as a cheerleader I’ve seen Salem talking with at school. She waves me over and pats the space next to her. “I’ve been wanting to hang out with you,” she calls out over the music. She then hands me a bottle of beer from a cooler. Nobody seems to care that we’re all underage and drinking in public, so I figure I might as well do what everybody else is doing.
“Parker,” she offers with a smile, which I appreciate since I couldn’t remember her name. “Friends with Salem.”
“Right, I’m really glad to meet you.”
“Did she tell you when she’s coming?”
“No, but she said she’d be here. Maybe she’s coming with Logan.”
Her nose wrinkles. “What’s up with that guy?”
“I have no idea. But she likes him.” Honestly, I’m kind of annoyed with her. She made it sound in English class like we would come out together tonight, but basically ghosted me once I texted her after school. I know people get that way when they first meet somebody new, like they forget about their friends for a little while, but it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.
“Hey, there you are.” Theo wedges himself between us, lying on his side. Like Hayes, he carries the scent of chlorine on his skin. “Where’s your brother?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care, either.” I’m tired of playing nice in front of people.
“Oh, come on.” He nudges me. “It was just a prank.”
“And it completely fucks my final grade. I guess he doesn’t care about that, since he has you to do his homework for him.” I nudge him back, and he laughs it off.
“Just let me know if you ever need any help.”
“How come you never offered to do my homework?” Parker asks.
“I don’t know.” He leans in a little closer. “What’s it worth to you?”
“Get the fuck out!” She’s laughing as she pushes him away, and he pretends to be hurt. From the way she looks at him, though, I feel she’s not totally against what he was implying.
“You should start charging people,” I suggest. “Build yourself an empire.”
“I have other ideas for that.” I wait for him to grin, but he doesn’t. I wonder what that’s supposed to mean.
Theo sits up, looking behind Parker and me. “There he is.”
I don’t need to ask who. Not when the hair on the back of my neck stands up. He’s watching me. He’s always watching me. Theo lifts a hand to wave Hayes over. From the corner of my eye, I catch him frowning.
“What’s up?” I play dumb, turning my head to look behind me. There he is, standing with his feet shoulder-width apart, arms folded. The red light now washing over his frozen form is chilling. He could be the devil himself. I’m wondering if he is.
“Let me go talk to him.” Theo gets up and I have to force myself not to follow his progress. I don’t know why, but it seems crucial that I don’t let Hayes know how he gets to me.
Franky comes over and hands me a fresh beer even though I haven’t finished the first one yet. “Salem say she was coming?” He turns his head from side to side, and I can see the concern etched on his forehead.
“Yeah, I don’t know what’s up with her. I guess she’s with Logan.”
Concern turns to anger or something like it. “Right.” He probably doesn’t get a good feeling about Logan either. I wish Salem could see how much better she can do.
Franky sits down with us, a little closer to me than he is to Parker. I wish I could get a read on him. He pays attention to me, like opening my beer and flaring up in anger when a couple of guys from school walk too close to where we’re sitting. One of them almost steps on my hand, which I pull back with a gasp.
“Hey, fuck face!” Franky barks. “Watch where you’re going.” Obviously, they know him, and they know better than to do anything but mutter an apology.
“Jimmy and Keith. Both probably stoned,” Parker sighs, and I realize one of them is the guy who gave me a pill at the party. Sure enough, he’s wandering from group to group, and something tells me he’s not really just slapping hands with the people he greets. They’re obviously passing something off before he jams his hand into his pocket. Money, I guess. Payment.
